Compositional Characteristics and Industrial Assessment of the Cretaceous Clay Deposits within Northern Anambra Basin, Nigeria

Abstract

Compositional and physical characteristics of the Creataceous clay deposits within Mamu Formation of Northern Anambra Basin outcropped at Aloji, Udane Biomi, Ofe jiji and Agbenema of Kogi Sate, Northern Nigeria were assessed to evaluate their potentials as raw materials. The deposits are of varying thicknesses and are capped by thin lateritic soil. The clay varies from white to dirty-white and greyish/brownish in colour as a result of the decolouration from the lateritic overburden. The physical parameters of the clay specimens include specific gravity (2.11 – 2.40), liquid limit (17.38 – 35.80), plasticity index (14.05 – 25.43) and loss on ignition (2.70 – 11.10) values. The mineralogical determination by x-ray diffraction (XRD) of the clay, indicate kaolinite as the major clay mineral with quartz and microcline as the non-clay mineral. Chemical analysis of the samples reveals the predominance of SiO₂ (69.67- 90.28%) and Al₂O₃ (6.32- 19.22%) with a silica/alumina ratio of 3.50 – 14.73%.The clay is also characterized by significant Fe₂O₃ (0.32 – 2.06%), TiO₂ (0.79 – 1.63), K₂O (0.04 – 1.87%) values, while CaO, MgO, Na2O, MnO and P₂O₅ have individual values < 1%. Physical parameters, Mineralogical and chemical compositions suggest that the clay deposit could be exploited for ceramics, paint, pottery and refractory industries.

Keywords: Clay minerlas, Cretaceous, Northern Anambra Basin, Industrial Assesment, Mineralogy, Geochemistry.